The Canberra Youth Orchestra returned home from its victorious European concert tour to a rousing reception, The Canberra Times reported 36 years ago. First off the bus from Sydney was tuba player, Mark Simpson, of Campbell, and leader of the second violins, Nigel Tupper, of Pearce, each carrying a trophy.
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The orchestra was named best symphony orchestra in the International Youth and Music Festival, in Vienna. It had also won the Austrian Radio and Television prize for the best radio performance.
The conductor, Richard McIntyre, said that although the group was "very tired, they were feeling pretty high".
"We have returned musically, socially and culturally enriched," he said.
Of the 75 players and five officers who went on the month-long tour to London, Versailles, Paris, Vienna, Venice, Florence and Rome, about 20 players stayed in Europe, to pursue further studies. For those that remain in Canberra, their task was more fundraising. The tour had cost $350,000.
Meanwhile, the Australian rebel cricket tour of South Africa was to go ahead, but without 14 players who were banned from playing Test cricket for three years.
The Australian president of the Campaign Against Racial Exploitation, Jim Gale, said: "The deal was a despicable piece of horse-trading."
The then-prime minister Bob Hawke, said the government was disappointed that the proposed tour was likely to go ahead, but he indicated that the government would not block it.
